New rules, new gameIt’s official, the 2016 presidential race is underway. At first glance, the matchup might look similar to the one we saw in each of the last few cycles: the inevitable Democratic nominee against dozens of Republican candidates. But it’s not. The Republican National Committee announced in January new rules regarding sanctioned debates. This, combined with a fuller field of “top-tier” Republican candidates, will result in a much different Republ...

A 10-bill limit for lawmakersDuring an 81-day session, Arkansas state legislators considered 2,200 bills and passed 1,288 of them into law. That’s a lot in a short amount of time. The session was relatively brief. The legislative volume was not out of the ordinary, but were there really 1,288 ways Arkansas needed to be fixed — especially this way, this fast? This is not a column bashing legislators, whom I find to be generally honorable and likable, with flaws like the re...

Was Ramadi's sacrifice in vain?“...that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain...” — Abraham Lincoln, the Gettysburg Address While the U.S. military in recent years has had a difficult time winning wars, it has had an easier time surrendering to political correctness and social experimentation. Arguments against gays in the military were rejected, and now there is a push to allow women in front-line combat positions, though many believe most wome...

River Valley RewindEditor’s note: The Courier will turn back the clock each week to take a glance at various people and events featured in the publication decades ago. The following picture was printed in The Daily Courier Democrat. The full text of the cutline is included below. RUSSELLVILLE HIGH SCHOOL delegates to the June 1-6 Girls State encampment at Ouachita Baptist University at Arkadelphia are from left, with parents and sponsors: Front — Charlotte Jacim...

Chaos in the primariesPainful as it is to realize that both the Democrats and the Republicans will still be holding their primaries a year from now, that is one of the high prices we pay for democracy. Seldom does the initial “front-runner” in either party’s primaries end up being the actual candidate when election day rolls around. However, even if we cannot predict the outcomes of the primaries this far in advance, we can at least start trying to understand the c...

Arkansas has no clout in 2016 fightLITTLE ROCK — With a former first lady facing a clear path to the Democratic nomination and an ex-governor inching closer toward another bid in the GOP contest, Arkansas has no shortage of big names in the 2016 White House race. But instead of being a key player in an increasingly crowded presidential fight, Arkansas is heading toward an all-too-familiar status as a flyover state in 2016. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s long-awaited announcement last...

Grading schools injustice to missionIf you’ve spent any time at all in school, you’ve been graded, and you know that can be a terrifying experience. Outside of school, we live almost exclusively on a pass-fail system that doesn’t quantify our efforts to function in the world. But in an effort to measure learning progress, educators have devised grading systems, most of which revolve around an A-F scale. The letter E is mysteriously omitted, and whoever did that surely deserved a...

Man kills armadillo, ricochet gunshot hits mother-in-lawAuthorities said a south Georgia man shot an armadillo, but ended up accidentally wounding his mother-in-law when the bullet ricocheted off the mammal known for its hard shell. Lee County Sheriff’s deputies reported Larry McElroy, 54, fired his 9 mm pistol at the armadillo last Sunday night. Deputies said the bullet killed the armadillo, but bounced off the animal, hit a fence, traveled through the back door of the mother-in-law’s mobile home ...

Min-maxing human beingsMy son Greg is on a mission. He wants to be a doctor — but “not the kind that has to work with people’s butts.” I told him that he had to work very hard to become a doctor, but I believed he could be successful. Greg’s a smart kid, in the Gifted and Talented program and has a thirst for knowledge. Especially science-y, math-y knowledge. Basically, he’s good at the stuff I’ve always been bad at. I grew up with able to draw better than most of m...

Reasons for separation of Church and State in U.S.There are several reasons the United States originally developed separation of church and state. First, there was a reaction against established churches in America because many persons who came to the new world were escaping the established churches in Europe. Despite this, the English colonies at first set up established churches (a very close church-state relationship), which had resulted in coercion, taxation and discrimination, which were...

Public school report cardsLITTLE ROCK — Individual public schools received a letter grade, from A to F, on school report cards issued by the state Education Department. The legislature mandated the letter grades in Act 696 of 2013 to make the school report cards easier for parents to understand. Among other things, the report cards indicate how well individual schools are teaching mathematics and literacy, based on students’ scores on standardized tests. For high schoo...

by
State Capitol Week in ReviewThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Regular Session to adjourn WednesdayLITTLE ROCK — The House will reconvene in the chamber on Wednesday for our official Sine Die adjournment for the Regular Session. Sine Die is a Latin term meaning “without day.” We will take up any unfinished business at that time and then adjourn until next year’s Fiscal Session or for any possible Special Sessions that may be called by the Governor. But our work when it comes to healthcare is still in the very beginning stages. Early in the ...

by
State House of RepresentativesThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Income transfer, not income taxCampaigning for reelection, President Barack Obama often talked about the importance of everyone paying their “fair share” of taxes. The assumption was that there was general agreement about what fair share means. The underlying message is that those who earn more should pay more than they already are; that what the top 10 percent are paying is just not enough. This week, a Wall Street Journal article titled “Top 20 Percent of Earners Pay 84 P...

Sage advice from Will RogersCONWAY — When it comes to humor, the Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle hit the nail on the head when he said, “Its essence is love; it issues not in laughter, but in still smiles, which lie far deeper.” This thought came to mind when I read a list of famous sayings by the famous cowboy humorist Will Rogers. While he died in a plane crash in 1935, three years before I was born, his legacy has nevertheless made an indelible mark on me. Several ye...

CrematoriumIf there had ever been a clear and present danger to anyone, especially children, no, repeat no crematorium would ever be considered in any community or remote rural area in the state. This has nothing to do with children. The heavy equipment working near the school spews toxic exhaust all over the Center Valley School area. This has nothing to do with air quality. This has nothing to do with the personal integrity or economic interests of Jim...

Asa conducts legislative orchestraArkansas’ state government was designed to have a weak governor, and that tradition has continued. The framers of the current 1874 Constitution ensured a veto could be overridden by a simple majority vote, and later amendments, such as the one that transferred the governor’s authority to the lieutenant governor when the governor leaves the state, have continued that tradition. Gov. Asa Hutchinson pretty much took a sledgehammer to all of that ...

'Little Boy:' A classic modern filmThere are classic films, like the ones on TCM and AMC, and there are modern films. There are few modern classics. “Little Boy,” in theaters April 24, could be a modern classic. The film is set in a Southern California town during World War II. A couple’s oldest son, London Busbee (David Henrie), is drafted, but is barred from service because of his flat feet. The father, James Busbee (Michael Rapaport), goes instead and his youngest son, Peppe...

Senior meals cutThe political process is often hard to understand, and sometimes even more difficult to swallow. And there’s a piece of it stuck in my throat right now. Articles have frequently appeared in this newspaper, publicity has been on the news, and we’ve tried to educate the citizens of Arkansas that the state ranks No. 1 of all 50 states in senior hunger. Nevertheless, there has been a significant cut in funding for senior center meals programs. Mor...

This is how the Clintons operateTrey Gowdy is forcing Hillary's hand, and now he's in danger. We don't have a moment to lose; Trey Gowdy has summoned Hillary Clinton to appear before the Select Committee on Benghazi for a fully transcribed interview under oath. This is critical, and though it means we're one step closer to justice, it also means the full weight of the Clinton machine is out to crush Rep. Gowdy. Let me explain, in an attempt to minimize the truth, Hillary's o...

River Valley Rewind: June 25, 2004Editor’s note: The Courier will turn back the clock each week to take a glance at various people and events featured in the publication decades ago. The following picture was printed in The Courier on Friday, June 25, 2004. The full text of the cutline is included below . Linda Polk-Carnahan (from left), Greg Barborek, State Sen. Sharon Trusty and Richard Ruble cut the ribbon during the dedication of the remodeled Missouri Pacific depot. A ste...